Twitter is one of the most used social media platforms in the world. With over 192 million active users in 2020, Twitter is the perfect way for businesses and individuals alike to join the conversations that matter to them, tweet, retweet, follow each other, and reach a wider audience. But not all accounts are fully public.

Users who come across the padlock icon on Twitter are confused about what it means and why they can’t access tweets from that account. Well, here’s everything you need to know about it and how you too might benefit from locking your tweets.

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Simply put, the Twitter lock icon means that the account is protected. As such, the tweets from that account cannot be viewed unless you have been approved by the account holder to view them. This is an optional privacy feature used by both businesses and individuals to protect their tweets and choose who can view and interact with them.